1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to durable one-piece molded plastic liquid-tight barrels for holding, handling, or storing large quantities of bulk material such as meat and other food products. The barrels may be nested when empty and, when used with a lid, may be stacked when filled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art barrels of one-piece construction for holding, handling, and storing large quantities of bulk material such as meat and other food products have handles that protrude outwardly from the sides of the barrel. Such outwardly extending handles are typically either a pair of rectangular or similarly shaped handles that protrude from the side of the barrel or an outwardly extending rollover lip that functions as a handle. These handles may fail when the barrels are subjected to heavy loads or subjected to violent impacts such as when they are banged together or dropped to the ground. Prior art barrels therefore may become useless long before they reach the end of their useful life.
Another problem with the outwardly extending handles is that they cause the barrels to require more storage space than if the handles were not present because outwardly extending handles prevent the outside walls of adjacent barrels from being placed close together.
Other prior art barrels have handles that are almost flush with the barrel wall known as drop handles. These handles are typically made of metal and comprise two pieces: one piece being a plate that attaches to the outside wall of the barrel and the other piece being a handle that fits through a sleeve on the plate and can rotate up and down. This type of handle has several disadvantages. Drop handles require other assembly operations in addition to constructing the barrel. Further, drop handles may fail and break when subjected to heavy loads. Moreover, the metal of the handles can rust and corrode.